Automaton merchandising device



Jan. 18, 1938'. DALE 251135304 AUTOMATON MERCHANDIS'ING DEVICE FiledJune '20, 1956 L2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY Jan. 18, 1938. F, L, DALE 12,105,994

AUTOMATON MER CHANDI S IxNG DEVI CE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR n -L LATTORN EY Patented Jan. 18,1938 Q a I 2,105,904

UNE'E'ED? STATES PATENT iOFFlCE 2,105,904 AUTOMATON MERCHANDISING DEVICEFrank L. Dale, Hartsville, Ind. Application June 20, 1936, Serial No.86,380 3 Claims. (cl. 46-118) This invention relates to an improvedautom- Link I8 has 2. depending lug 20 which works aton merchandisingdevice. in slot ll of arm l6. Upon energizing motor l9 1' contemplate ina generic sense the provision it is apparent through the connectionsjust deof a robot-like figure which is operated, preferscribed, that thetubular member l and the head 5 ably, by remote control to simulatecertain human and neckwhich are fixed thereto will oscillate. 5characteristics, such for example as, movement Upon particular referenceto Figs. 1 and 4 of of the head, smoking, saluting and speaking. thedrawings, it will be seen that a mouthpiece More specifically theinvention comprises the 2! is positioned in the mouth 22 and is adaptedfigure of a human within the body of which is to receive a cigarette orthe like 23. Nose 25 has 19 compactly arranged the mechanism foroscillatan orifice 25 at its base, and towards its top and ing the headand simultaneously exhaling smoke extending through head 6, is a smallnipple 26. from a lighted cigarette through the nostrils, The innerterminals of mouthpiece 2| and nipple raising one arm from the body tothe head, as 25 connect with couplings 28 and 29 respectively, insaluting, and speaking through a loudspeaker, said couplings beingjoined by the T 30 disposed 155 all of said mechanism being operableelectrically at the upper end of pipe 3| which extends'downat anydesired point removed from the automwardly through the tubular memberl5. Each aton. coupling 28 and 29 is equipped with a ball valve To theaccomplishment of the recited objects 32 and 33. Within housing H is aep ndin and others co-ordinate therewith, the preferred bracket; 34which supports a pair of reducing embodiment of my invention resides inthe congears 35, crank-shaft 36 and pulley 3i. The 20 struction andarrangement of parts hereinafter outer end of crank-shaft 35 ispivotally condescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawnected topiston 38 of pump cylinder 3Q, suitably ings and embodied within thescope of the apsupported by bracket fill while a belt El is trainedpended claims. over pulley 3! and is operated by an electric 2e In saiddrawings, Fig. 1 is a front elevation meter-42. t of the completefigure. A flexible tubing 43, in length ample to resist Fig. 2 is avertical sectional view taken along any undue tensile distortion as thehead is oscillines 2-2 of Fig. 1. lated, serves to connect the bottom ofpipe 3i and Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view taken along thecorresponding end of cylinder 39. 80 lines a-s of Fig. 2. In thereference to Figs. 2 and 3 of the'draw- Fig. 4 is a detail verticalsection of a portion ings, with respect to the mechanism for elevatingof the head, and the arm. it is noted that shaft 43 extends trans- Fig.5 is a schematic view of the electrical wirversely through body 5 and isrigidly fixed to ing system employed. arm 1 and the figure as at 45-arm8 remaining 5 Similar reference characters indicate correstationary.This shaft carries a flanged pulley spending parts throughout. 46, andbelow said shaft are a pair of worm gears Broadly; the figure comprisesa body 5, head 6, 41 and 48, the former having mounted thereon arms Iand 8, legs 9 and Hi, all constructed from a disc 49 and the latterhaving a pulley 50. A

' cylindrical elements, as cans or drums. flexible wire or cord 5|connects pulley 46 and The body 5 serves as a housing for the major disc49, and belt 52 is connected to motor 53.

portion of the operating mechanism, and is In the front of wall H ofbody 5 there is proformed of a relatively'large cylinder or drum vided acircular opening 55. In juxtaposition to having a vertical side wall ll,top plate I! and this opening is disposed at loudspeaker 55.Tobottomplate l3. wards the base of body 5 the various conductors Head 5is carried by neck It which latter rests noted generally by thereference numeral 56 enter 45 upon top l2 of body 5, and both the headand through the small opening Ell-being suitably neck are designed tooscillate with respect to the connected to the motors et cetera. body,as will now be explained. Extending In the schematic view shown in Fig.5, 58 is through top H of the body'and the-junction of thesound-amplifying unit, 59 is a microphone,

the head and neck is a tubular member l5, open 60 is a phonographicrecord turn-table 'and GI at both ends, and at its lower end havingrigidly is a center control outfit. In this showing all fined theretoand extending laterally therefrom circuits can be easily traced from anysuitable an arm 16, slotted at ll, said arm cooperating source ofcurrent supply as Aand B.-

, with link l8 carried by a small electric motor Hi In practicaloperation the automaton'figure is of the windshield wiper type.positioned at any suitable location and the con 55 trol with itsaccessories is hooked up at a distant building which usually point. Byway of example, the figure may be set up in front of a conventional typeof gasoline station and the control positioned within the comprises apart of 'such cut-out switch 62, motor I9 is energized resulting in anoscillating movement of head 6 and neck l4. When cut-out switch 63 isclosed, motor 42 becomes energized stations. Upon closing and throughthe connection hereinbefore deimitation of a salute. This result followsthrough connections 44, 45, 46, worm gears 41, flexible wireil and theother associated appurtenances. The salute arm 1 is caused to resume anormal position similar to that of stationary arm ,8, by reason of itsown weight. The salute may be accentuated ii head-oscillating means isactuated simultaneously, for then the movement of the arm and head'issynchronized, i. e. as the" movable. arm: 1 starts to move from itsnormally lowered position motor [9 is energized which causes head-Q tooscillate time arm I. is raised to the limit of its swing,

head 6 will j ave returned to create a mechanical simulationgf ihfasalute, as illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings. I

Through the microphone 59 an attendant may greet a customer ashe drivesup to the station,

or the attendant directed in the service cream by one who may be incharge of the station. The microphone may be employed in various other Wys which may suggest themselves to the owner or the operator of thestation.

If preferred, on certain occasions a phono- Kraphic record can be placedon tum-table 60 and the sound emitted therefrom reproducedthrough-loudspeaker 55. Such record may en body a song, music, salestalk or the like. In this connection the amplifying unit 58 is providedwith the usual input and, output circuits. Microphone .59 andphonographic producer are each show connectedto the input circuitthrough the leads as and respectively. The output circuit,

" point adjacent the lower extremity in profile, and by the the bodyhead and the arm.

imitation. Various combinations can be worked out to suit the dictatesof the particular occasion.

It should be understood that in its broader aspects the inventioncomprises not only the various means described but similar means forperforming the recited functions. It is desired to reserve the right tomake such changes or modifications as may come fairly within the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a headoscillatablein a horizontal plane, a pair of arms one of which ispivoted at the shoulder of the body and movable from a of the body to aposition of salute and motor-actuated means associated with the bodywhereby upon a single movement of said arm from one position to theother, the head is timed to oscillate from front to profile and profileto front.

2. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a. headoscillatable in a horizontal plane, a pair of arms one of which ispivoted at the shoulder of the body and movable from a point adjacentthe lower extremity of the body to a position of salute and meansoperable. within whereby upon movement of said arm from its lowermostpoint to salute, the head will concurrently oscillate in profile andreturn to a front view.

3. An automaton merchandising device including a body, a headoscillatable in a horizontal plane, a pair of arms, one of said armsbeing movable from a. point adjacent the lower extremity of the body toa position of salute, one

of said arms being immovable, a mouth-piece carried by the head, meansoperable within the body whereby upon a single movement of said arm fromone position to the other, the head is timed to oscillate fromfront toprofile and profile to front, and means adapted to simulate the actsmoking through the mouth andnose of the with said movements of the mm:L. DALE.

head concurrently

